Japanese Eats

Labor Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in Japan.

As a means of celebrating the work done throughout the year, Japan celebrates a Labor Thanksgiving Day every year on 23rd November.Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan is a national holiday.

History of Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan

The festival in Japan is a time to reflect not just on the work one has done over the last year, but also to give thanks for others who may have performed work on your behalf. The festival has been celebrated for several centuries as the Rice Harvest Festival or Niiname-Sai as it’s known in Japanese. The festival can be traced all the way back to the year 678, which is the earliest recorded instance of Niiname-Sai.Tradition has it that the emperor would dedicate the season’s fresh harvest to the gods and taste the rice himself for the first time.

The date was fixed during the Meiji Era (around the turn of the 20th century). Ever since it has been celebrated on November 23rd. The ancient traditions of the Japanese imperial family are still maintained, but in modern times behind closed doors. For the rest of Japan, this is a day of public holiday.

Japan travel tip:

Travelling to Japan? Avoid flying on national holidays and you’ll save hassle and airfares. Plan your trip with our international date planner – the only one to include all dates of international holidays in a convenient monthly calendar. We also offer international planner at our site aglobalworld.com

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